Encounters of the Sol Kind
by PixelSylveon
Summary: Used to be "That One Inevitable Drabble Series". Crossposting from ao3. A series on encounters between Gladion and the female protagonist. Eventual fluff & canon divergence.
1. The First Encounter

The cool evening air graced her skin, relaxing her after a long day of humidity. She had put a light cardigan on over her shorts and camisole mostly to prevent bug bites, but her hair was still tied up from the hot day. She could smell the pools of water up ahead – maybe she would go for an evening swim. That would be nice. Free from… worry.

Or not.

Farther up the route she heard yelling. A battle? Pushing forward, she was met with Hau and another individual not all that far away from him. Hau had just recalled his Dartrix, a smile on his face. "Ah man, I got totalled," he said, turning to the girl. "Oh, Sol! You should see this guy – he's plenny scary!"

She took that moment to actually _look_ at the guy in front of her and Hau. Blond hair, angry expression, dark clothes relatively torn up – what was he? Some sort of punk rock kid? Sol's eyebrows furrowed as his gaze met hers. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you Sol?" He questioned, voice soft but clear. She was definitely not expecting that tone from him, wow. He moved a tad closer to her, and she could see his green eyes, one partially covered by his blond locks.

"I am," she replied, rather confused as to who he was. Unless… was he with Team Skull? All she did was mess up a few grunts. It shouldn't matter too badly – they were low tier, right? His eyes glinted in amusement, a smirk making its way onto his face before returning to a casual Resting Bitch Face™ position. She really didn't want to deal with him, or any of Team Skull, for that matter.

"Not very cautious, are you?" He questioned, stepping forward yet again. "Even some pokemon have more brains concerning self preservation than you do, apparently." In turn, Sol stepped away from him, not appreciative of him stepping into her bubble. Hau could only glance back and forth, hoping the blond guy wouldn't do anything terrible.

A small laugh escaped from the girl who only reached just past the Team Skull member's shoulders. "Oh no, its not that." A smile graced her lips, ideas tossing wildly in her mind. Her light blue eyes lit up, causing both young men before her to emit curious looks. "I just know I'm under no threat." With that, she tossed out a pokeball, revealing her torracat. "Who are you, anyway?"

The blond before her smirked yet again, interested in the development before him. "I'm Gladion," he said evenly. "I fight for my partner, Null, to make it strong." He grabbed a pokeball from his side pouch, tossing it in his hand. "Battle me."

With that, he released a zubat.

It only took two fire fangs to take down the bat pokemon, curtesy of Mocha, Sol's torracat, being a brute of a pokemon. She wasn't even interested in the battle anymore, but Gladion's expressions throughout the scuttle. He was getting nervous. Shaking. She could see it plain as day.

She could only relate to the anxiety he must have felt.

When he tossed out his next pokemon, she couldn't help but gasp. It was a chimera of a pokemon, plain and simple. It astounded her – where did he find such a thing?

"What – that's Null?" She questioned, glancing back and forth between Mocha and the beast in front of her. She couldn't gage it at all.

"Type: Null, to be precise," Gladion replied after a levelled breath. "Tackle."

"Dodge it, Mocha!" Sol called out, fingers crossed as the chimera barreled towards her starter. The cat managed to jump out of the way just in time, hissing at the beast. "Fire fang!"

* * *

She had won. Against this _Null_. She'd have to snap a picture of it when she had a chance, to send to Kukui. It was obvious the animal wasn't natural, and yet it seemed to put all its faith in Gladion.

Gladion. Who was currently shocked beyond belief, unaware of how he had been beaten. With a cough, he straightened his posture, pretending to dust himself. "I suppose we still need to get stronger," he mumbled.

"Oh, if it isn't sweet little Gladbag," a voice behind the blond echoed. In seconds two grunts of Team Skull had appeared, waiting to wreak havoc per usual. "Looks like even the homeless kid is spineless," he quipped.

Gladion's gaze hardened, whipping his head around to glare down at the grunts. "Don't." He commanded. "You know you wouldn't be able to beat me and Null. You're pokemon are too good to be put through shit like that."

Sol's eyebrows raised at this. He cared about others pokemon? Why the hell was he working with Team Skull when he appeared to be a disturbed, yet decent person?

He had made her curious.

"Well if it weren't for you," the female grunt grumbled, "we would have successfully stolen that totem pokemon from Brooklet Hill. But no, you had to go and waste our time!"

As the grunts continued to berate Gladion, Sol couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't lashed out. Why he wouldn't protect himself. Maybe –

No, don't think like that. Bad Sol. She slapped her cheeks, waking herself from her thoughts, only to realize that the grunts and Gladion had left.

Hau waved a hand in front of her face. "Yo I get he may be troubled and all, but he's still a sourpuss." It was like he had read her thoughts. Again. He had to stop doing that.

She shot Hau a playful glare. "I'm just curious, is all. Nothing more."


	2. The Second Encounter

The next time she ran into Gladion, Sol was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

And by that, she meant Kukui and Hau. But Kukui was playing as some character – Masked Royal, is that what he was called? – and Hau was certain it couldn't be the professor, because why would the professor partake in battle royals? Sol didn't know, either, but it was obvious it was Kukui, _Arceus._

"You, yes, you over there! Come join us in a battle royal!" Kukui – err, Masked Royal – called out towards the blond. Sol glanced toward the boy, who somehow looked even shadier than the last time she met him. Hands in his pockets, Type: Null by his side, he sauntered toward the group of three, eyes cast towards Sol in a permanent glare. She could feel contempt radiating off him.

Yikes. Did _she_ do this?

As he passed her, she couldn't help but shiver.

* * *

The battle was an absolute failure on her part. She had sent out her freshly caught mareanie, thinking that battle royals would be like the free for all's back home.

She was dead wrong, of course.

Gladion had gotten his revenge, knocking out her mareanie in an instant, and had won the battle royal in seconds. Coming out, head hung low, Sol couldn't help but sigh. _Well, he should feel better, at least._

 _Wait. Why do I care how that punk feels?_

Hau commented on how grumpy Gladion was, emitting a "tch" from the blond. Sol could only wonder what Lillie would say if she met the grump. She would more than likely berate him, she figured. It would have been a hilarious sight.

Exiting the Battle Royal Dome after the fire trial captain, Kiawe, introduced himself, complementing the trainers on the "heated battle" – really? – Sol headed down to the center of Royal Avenue. Her pokemon deserved a good rest and some malasada.

As she passed the fountain surrounded by pink flowers, Sol saw the familiar blond on a bench, a piece of paper in hand, with a murkrow sitting beside him. Curiosity overwhelming the girl once again, she scooted behind a nearby tree. A breeze blew past, rolling the clouds in front of the soon to be setting sun. What was he doing? Sending a letter to someone?

 _Oh, Zapdos, he's actually sending a letter._ He rolled the paper up, tying it carefully to the murkrow's foot. A small smile could be seen poking its way onto his face as he pat the murkrow affectionately, and Sol's heart skipped a beat. _Shit, abort mission, he's cute when he's smiling –_

And then he looked up, eyes locking with hers.

Sol "eeped", pushing herself away from the tree and sprinting towards the pokemon center. Great, now she was seen being a weirdo. A creeping weirdo. The girl sighed as she strolled through the entrance, timidly asking the nurse to take her pokemon. She flopped onto the couch nearby, another loud sigh escaping her lips.

There was no valid reason for her to act the way she did. She slapped her cheeks, curled up at the corner of the couch. She needed Hau to drill some sense into her. Yes. That would be a good, good thing.

He was attractive. Mysterious. Alternative, which somehow wooed her. She bit her cheek. But why? He was a member of Team Skull.

 _He's a member of Team Skull, you fuckface._

But he was kind to pokemon. Undoubtedly so. And if she remembered hearing the grunts right, back on route five, he had stopped them from stealing the wishiwashi from Lana's trial.

Sol frowned.

What is _up_ with this dude?

* * *

Gladion didn't even want to question why that trainer was staring at him from behind a tree. Was she scared of him?

Probably.

He gave the murkrow one last pat before sending it off back to his twin, wondering how she was doing. She was supposed to be close by, he knew. Was supposed to meet up with Wicke, as according to her letter. And yet those trainers had half the mind to leave her back in Heahea all alone.

If Lillie supposedly had cosmog – no, Nebby, she was calling it – she was in danger. His heart clenched, unaware of what to do. He hadn't seen her in two years. Certainly, they tried to keep in touch in secret with the murkrow he had caught, but letters were few and far between.

And now she had run away, just like he did.

He stood up and began walking towards the pokemon center. The wind was beginning to pick up, bending the tall trees to its will. Null and zubat would need a decent rest before they headed back to the hotel. It wasn't much of a bother to walk around the islands as he typically did for missions for Team Skull. In fact, it was relaxing.

Mind you, even Team Skull was relaxing compared to the hell hole he had come from.

His thoughts wandered back towards the girl who was, as far as Lillie was concerned, a saint. He thought she was rather stuck up, truth be told, but she was a good trainer.

Her pokemon seemed to like her, at least.

Gladion was only mildly pissed when he saw her at the Battle Royal Dome. It wasn't even because she had kicked his ass a few days prior – it was because Lillie was nowhere to be seen. And that joyful brat was there as well. That only soured his mood a little more.

He entered the pokemon center, taking note of the trainers lazing about. Half of them were regulars at the battle dome, he noticed, almost tripping over himself when his eyes landed on the trainer who had invaded his thoughts moments ago.

She was curled up at the corner of the couch, lavender-brown hair piled on top of her head, book in one hand, cold beverage in the other. Her torracat was asleep next to her, curled on his back, limbs stuck in the air. She was completely absorbed in whatever it was she was reading, and he swore his heart had decided to stop working for a second.

Did it scare him, or was there something else to it?

He looked away, recomposing himself. After dropping his pokemon at the front desk, he grabbed a juice box for himself from the cafeteria, sitting a few seats across and over from the girl.

She was lost in whatever text she was going through. _It's probably a cheesy romance novel,_ he guessed. _That's what Plumeria normally reads, anyway_. His eyes drifted toward the window she sat in front of – evening was coming, swallowing up what was left of the colourful day. The wind was fierce, pulling papers and small items along with it, as a stressed mother would to her kids to get them to school on time.

And then the lights went out with a whirr of energy, draping a blanket of darkness over the occupants in the pokemon center. Gasps erupted from the crowd, and Gladion saw Sol shift ever so slightly, grabbing onto her torracat.

* * *

Sol gasped as she heard the power give out, darkness enshrouding the pokemon center. She instinctively grabbed hold of Mocha, and glanced around the center, hoping everything was alright. Without any white noise from the TVs, the wind could be heard whipping violently behind her. She shivered, suddenly aware of the fact she was dressed in nothing but shorts and a tank top.

Her eyes landed on Gladion, not too far away from herself, and signalled to Mocha she was moving. Grabbing her book, she took a breath and moved over to where he sat, taking a seat beside him.

"So, what brings you here this gloomy evening?" She questioned casually, ignoring the embarrassment she felt from earlier. As awkward as their… relationship was, it was better than being alone in the dark.

He took a while to respond, be it from shock or disgust, Sol couldn't tell. "I'm certain every trainer has to go to a center at some point." His lips curled up slightly, though he didn't bother looking in her general direction. "Is there a reason you came over here?"

Sol bit her lip, muffling a curse as Mocha jumped up onto her lap and began kneading her. "Truth be told, I'm terrified of the dark."

This caused Gladion to turn and look at her, shock etched upon his face – a look that screamed "you're actually admitting that?"

"You really are careless," he muttered, head turning toward the desk, hoping null and zubat were alright. He stood, then, realizing it was much faster to go check up on them rather than ponder. With a quick "I'll be back," he walked off.

Sol was confused.

Mind you, wasn't she always, as of late?

Petting Mocha, she watched Gladion's figure as he glided over to the front desk, footsteps soundless. He was certainly good at not drawing attention to himself, she noted.

Yet, he had managed to draw her attention.


	3. Second Encounter HD 2 point 5 Remix

It was dark outside, the wind still howling, rapping against the windows furiously. Rain followed it, pelting the ground hard enough that it would bounce back up before adding to the growing puddles. It had only been two hours since the power decided to pack its bags and leave on hiatus, thanks to the storm, and Sol was getting bored. Gladion had said all of two words after he had returned with his healed pokemon, though he reclaimed his spot beside her.

Now he was reading through some sort of field guide by candle light, as far as Sol could tell. One hand held it open while the other propped his head up, elbow on the arm of the couch, one leg crossed over the other. He had pinned his bangs back with a simple barrette, probably to make it easier to read. Sol couldn't help but giggle at the sight, earning a glare from the blond. She huffed in reply, checking the time on her phone and groaning.

Then the thunder roared, drowning out the mindless chatter of the other pokemon center occupants. A flash of lightning followed soon after, and the roaring continued. Mocha jumped up in response, whimpering. In seconds he had found his ball in Sol's bag, returning himself in fright. At that moment Sol could only wonder where Hau, Lillie and the professor were – if they were safe. She hoped so. Shaking beside her was Gladion, book down on his lap, feet planted firmly on the ground.

Was he scared of storms or something? She knew Mocha was skittish around weather conditions – heck, he had already freaked out over the _rain_ – but Gladion scared was another thing _entirely_. She pursed her lips, not entirely certain on what to do about the shaking boy beside her. Certainly, his facial expression made it seem that nothing was wrong – he was as passive as ever – but the shaking compromised him.

She scooted over ever so slightly, trying to get the togedemaru wheel in her mind to spin. _Crank those gears, boy!_

 _What do you even say to a scared punk rock kid?_ His one leg bounced without any rhythm in mind, fingers tapping his knee as if impatient. Another bolt of lightning struck, thunder booming immediately after it, making Gladion cringe. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. Sol poked him gently, having no idea what else she could do.

"Yo," she murmured. He opened one eye warily, green orb focused on her, eyebrow dipped in agitation.

" _What._ "

She bit her lip, not wanting to cause a scene or make him feel any more agitated. "I have music," she started, lightbulb finally glowing in her mind, togedemaru cheering over the small victory. "You can listen to it. If you want."

The eyebrow that was once lowered was raised in curiosity, both eyes fluttering open. With that, she grabbed her phone once again, and then her headphones from her bag. She handed one earbud to the boy, who accepted it with a slightly less pissy look, hands trembling. She navigated to her music in seconds, scrolling until she found something that would hopefully ease him.

Of course, she was only doing it because the shaking was getting annoying.

That was totally it.

She tapped on _Sacred Woods_ , somewhat self conscious in her taste in music. Of course, she listened to a wide variety, but she could only imagine Gladion as the Evanescence and My Chemical Romance type.

 _Or maybe he's more Panic! At the Disco,_ Sol wondered.

Her thoughts subsided as she saw Gladion relax, however. His eyes had closed again, his head resting on the back of the couch, one leg crossed over the other, shaking barely visible as the soft melody ran its course.

And then Three Point One Four _just had to_ come on next.

The lyrics only started before Sol went to reach for her phone to change the song, but a pale hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her. Gladion turned to her, eyebrows quirked and lips turned up in amusement.

"You are _not_ changing the song."

As the song progressed, the odd muffled giggle would escape from the blond boy. Hands would cover his face and he would turn away, but Sol caught the odd sparkle in his eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat yet again, which made her wonder if she should take a trip to the doctor. Of course, she knew she had some early form of affection for the Team Skull member, though she still couldn't fathom why.

She barely even knew the guy, after all.

* * *

Music continued to play as the night wore on, and Sol had drifted in and out of sleep several times. At one point she awoke with her head resting on Gladion's shoulder, who had also fallen asleep.

She didn't bother moving.

* * *

By morning, power had returned, and the occupants in the pokemon center groggily awoke. Sol's eyes blinked open slowly, confused as to where she was. When the night's memories had come back to her, she bolted upright, only to realize Gladion was no longer there. Her head whipped around, noticing the blanket falling off her, which she grabbed just before it floated to the floor. Only then she noticed a small piece of paper with writing on it next to where her head once was, a small piece of wrapped candy taped on carefully.

She picked it up, a small smile forming as she read and reread the note.

 _Sol,_

 _Thank you for last night. Maybe you're not so bad after all._

 _-Gladion_


	4. Curse the Stufful

_A breeze pressed through Route 8, nearly pushing over a panting Sol as she stopped to rest, hands on her knees. It was the day after she had cleared Kiawe's trial, and she was still reeling from the shock of random hikers and salazzle. However, she had looked forward to the oceanic view that Route 8 overlooked, and was impressed by the cloudless sky. Beyond her stood a white trailer that glowed in the sunlight, nearly blinding the Kanto native._

 _After catching her breath, she meandered closer to it, inspecting the odd building that, to her, didn't fit Alola's aesthetic what-so-ever. It was made of steel, she realized. With a piqued curiosity, she entered the opened door, wondering what could await her._

And that's why she was _still_ on Route 8. One of those Aether people asked if she could catch a stufful to use her pokedex information, but no one told her _they were close to non-existent._

* * *

An overbearing groan echoed throughout the route as Sol and her torracat fell to the ground, exhausted and wanting to give up. The girl grabbed her water bottle, popping off the cap and raising it to her lips, only to have a small bead of water drip onto her tongue.

No water.

Fuck.

Sol groaned again, slamming the cap back on and shoving the empty bottle back in her bag. Mocha tilted his head, watching the trainer curiously. He had found a pond nearby, thirst quenched.

The girl's eyes narrowed, jealousy radiating off her frame.

From behind her, the Rotom Dex beeped, attempting to grab her attention. She stood, whirling around to find the pokemon wildly gesturing to underneath a tree. Her eyes followed the invisible line to the palm, eyes widening at the sight of a pink and black plush-like creature.

 _There it is!_ Her mind screamed. Poking Mocha gently with her foot, the three initiated stealth mode.

They crouched behind a large chunk of foliage across the way from the palm tree, studying the stufful's movements. It seemed to be foraging for berries, paws scratching at the ground, nose scrunched up while attempting to sniff one out.

A quiet giggle aroused from the half-delirious girl. Her payday was right in front of her, and then she could treat her pokemon to some needed malasadas! With a quick motion to Mocha, the cat pokemon leapt out of the bushes, fangs coated in fire.

The bite landed on one of the stufful's hind legs, and the wounded pokemon howled in pain. With a quick flick of her wrist, Sol threw out a quickball. Three shakes.

Payday was here, boys!

Just as she was about to stand up from her crouched position, a rough hand clamped down onto her shoulder. Her heart stopped momentarily, and then came back full-force, constricting her chest. She angled her head to look upwards, noting the Team Skull attire.

 _Fuck_ was the only word available in her mind.

"Hey, girly," the grunt nudged her with his foot, making her fall to a sitting position. "I see you just caught that stufful there. I want it." His voice was gruff. Another kick, this time to her side. Sol bit her lip, gripping her side as to not cry out in pain.

"So?" The Team Skull member continued, grimace on his face as he spat on the ground, right beside her. "If you don't give it to me, I'm certain I could persuade ya somehow." His voice trailed off, one leg moving back as to kick her again. Before he could, however, she managed to roll out of the way, jumping up a few feet away from him, and closer to the pokeball.

"Mocha, fire fang!" Sol called, and the cat sprung to action yet again, jaws flaming and a glint in his eyes. She used this moment to run towards the pokeball, scooping it up and continuing to run as far away from the grunt as she could.

"Run, Mocha, run!" Mocha had successfully bitten the grunt's leg, and had let go at her call. He mewled after his trainer, and then turned back to the grunt, glare returning. He blew smoke in the man's face before turning tail and running after Sol.

* * *

They were right outside the center when they had finally stopped running, and Sol was grateful for Alola's random placement of pokemon centers. The building welcomed her in a way no one else ever would; it was a mighty safe zone, and she was a mere trainer trying not to whiteout.

It didn't take long for her and her pokemon to become rested enough to attempt venturing back outside, praying to the legendaries above that the grunt was gone. Poof. Out of her sights and mind. Her side still ached, though she tried to ignore it.

The sun was a brilliant hue of yellows and oranges, declaring that evening was fast approaching. Sol wanted nothing more than to meander back down to Heahea, in hopes of finding Hau or Lillie to ease her feelings of loneliness. It had been an exhausting day, and she wanted nothing more to relax by the ocean side and stick her feet in the soothing waves.

However, her ideas came to a halt as a group of Team Skull thugs appeared from around the corner of the pokemon center, dragging their bodies like punk zombies. Before they could react, she hightailed it, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust.

There was an inn not to far from the center, closer to the water's edge. She raced to the first door she could find, pounding her fist against it in a feeble attempt to get someone's attention.

Moments, and the door opened. She flung through the opening, screeching a "sorry" as she pulled the door shut behind her, locking it. Resting against the door, eyes closed, Sol took a few deep breaths to steady her racing heart.

"Get out," a familiar, cold voice resounded around the room. Sol wearily opened one eye, noting first the crossed arms, black clothes… blond… hair.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, hey, Gladion." She tried to sound chipper, pushing off the door to stand upright, eyes open and taking in the room around her. It was plain, in every sense of the word, save for the colourful pokemon bed tucked away in the corner, housing a dozing type: null.

"Get out," the boy repeated, words laced with a sharp edge. Sol bit her lips, knowing that if she went back out, it would be the death of her.

"I would love to, but there's a Skull grunt after my ass," she replied after a moment, hoping Gladion would be the safer option.

"And why would that be?" He was quick to reply, eyes fixed on her.

"I caught a stufful and one was trying to steal it from me."

A groan sounded from Gladion; Sol looked over at him, watching as he held his head in his hand. A sigh escaped his lips as he dragged his hand down his face as if the most unfortunate thing just had to happen to him right now.

It wasn't super attractive, Sol decided.

"I guess you can stay for a bit, but you're not touching _anything,_ " he said, glaring at her.

What had happened to their almost bonding moment during the storm? Sol pouted, though replaced the expression with one of neutrality so that Gladion wouldn't notice.

"Okay, sweet."

* * *

Sol's stomach grumbled, as if a snorlax had not eaten in a century. A glare from Gladion was cast her way, and she pouted, crossing her arms. She had been sitting on the floor for the past hour, silently petting type: null and feeding it the odd bean while Gladion sat on the bed reading.

"It's not my fault I've barely eaten today," she commented, glaring back at the boy. He huffed, looking away.

"Well its not like I can feed you," he replied. "I have maybe half a bag of doritos and I don't get paid until next week."

He paused after that, expression shocked. "Forget I said that," he added quickly, blushing in embarrassment. He turned his face away from her in an attempt to hide it.

Sol's heart almost sank at the fact. When was the last time he actually ate?

God, no wonder he seemed so scrawny.

After a moment's consideration, the girl stood up, mission clear. There was a grocer across from the pokemon center, if she recalled correctly.

She walked over to the blond, pulling him up by his sleeve. "We're going shopping," she announced, shushing him when he tried to speak up.

* * *

It was rather dead in the small store, though Sol was quick to grab essentials. Gladion followed her idly, almost in a daze, unaware of how to react to the situation before him. He had no idea why she was doing this for him, or why it even it mattered to her.

Maybe it didn't. Maybe she was just being kind.

He scoffed at the thought, though. People weren't kind unconditionally. That's not how the world worked. Perhaps it was just repayment for keeping her out of harm's way.

That was more likely.

He watched as she scanned through the pokemon food section, focused on finding the best deal before her. She was more civil than he realized, only remembering her being caked in dirt and sweat and calling moves to her pokemon, excitement radiating off her frame.

It was always a weird feeling when he realized people were actually _people_. They had lives and feelings and thoughts, just like he did. They came from many backgrounds, some good and some bad, much like himself.

It was then he realized how _human_ Sol was. She had a whole life outside of their small interactions, and Gladion could only wonder what it was like.

They continued along the isles, Sol pointing out the odd objects and the random memories they brought back to her – of her and her mother baking cookies, of her and friends shopping and eating malasadas together. As they turned the corner to go down the next isle, Sol bumped her side against an endcap. She grabbed her side reflexively, letting out a soft "fuck" and biting down on her lip.

Gladion moved closer to her. "Are you that much of a klutz?" He asked, semi-jokingly, before realizing her eyes were watering.

"I mean, yeah," she choked out, "But that grunt kicked me earlier, too. I guess it bruised." The girl was timing her breaths, trying not to focus on the sudden pain.

A flare of anger flooded Gladion's body, though he couldn't place why it angered him so much.

Either way, he couldn't wait to find out what grunt decided to hurt her and return the favour with a good tackle or ten from Null.


	5. So There's a Lot of Rain or Something

Sol was pissed.

There was no denying that.

As she trudged forwards in the rain, soaked through, clutching to her bag for dear life, she could only think of one thing;

She had had _enough_ of Team Skull.

Battling Guzma the first time around had not been much of a problem – Latte, her now Lycanroc – had solo'd him relatively easily, being a rock type and all.

It was the second battle she was more worried about.

And the fact that she had no other way to enter Po Town than through the front doors, which were currently guarded by two Skull members.

The girl bit her lip, ignoring the loose stands of hair stuck to her face, as she took cover behind a rock. Stealth was never her thing, even in video games she played. Besides, it was still light out, regardless of how the clouds dominated the sky.

She would have to use brute force.

The girl hunched over her bag, making sure she had enough healing items at the ready for her infiltration, then took in a deep breath.

It was now, or never.

With that, she stood up, racing around the rock and throwing out the pokeball holding Foam, her toxapex. The two Skull members whirled toward her, faces painted with shock. They threw out their own pokemon – two zubat, which were brought down in seconds by Foam's scald.

"I'm in a hurry," Sol huffed as the grunts backed out of the way. She barrelled into the doors to the town after recalling the toxapex, eager to get the upcoming fights over with.

* * *

She really had no idea what to think of Team Skull, after crawling through their mess of a mansion. The place was chalk-full of dried paint, wii-us, and waves of destroyed objects.

Why hadn't anyone cleaned up the broken chandelier, for Arceus' sake?

She groaned, pushing past the grunt that had allowed her step out onto the roof of the lower level, in order to get to Guzma. The tiles were still slick with the pouring rain, and Sol had half a mind to turn around and climb over the glass – at least that would be better than falling to her death.

Regardless, she carried on, over the creaky, single board, to the other window that she entered haphazardly as her chest eased.

Sol sighed as she was met with another duo of grunts. "Oh, dear _Arceus,_ just let me pass," she huffed to the two, borderline exhausted. The two looked at each other before responding.

"You're crazy, holy shit."

"Guzma is gonna kick your ass, I hope you realize."

Sol shrugged, walking past the two and opening the doors to meet her doom.

Guzma sat in his chair, head rested on one of his hands as he looked up and down at the girl before him. A single grunt stood to the left of him, holding back a distressed yungoos. "So," the boss of Team Skull started, "you really wanted to come here for a bruisin', eh?"

Sol looked up to the man, brushing her hair out of her face. "A few more bruises are nothing compared to what you're going to get." With that, she threw out a pokeball, releasing Macchiato, her Raichu. The yellow and brown rodent floated beside her, paws at his mouth, chuckling.

Guzma stood, hand on his hip as he nonchalantly released his golisopod – the giant bug chittered angrily, pounding its claws together. Sol backed away slightly, praying there was enough space in the room so that she wouldn't get knocked back by an attack.

"Macchiato, thunderbolt!" The raichu complied, charging its self with a bright energy before releasing it on the golisopod – before it even had a chance to react, it was stuck by the lightning.

The golisopod twitched, chittering a weak cry, before its ability kicked in, sending it back to its pokeball.

Sol bit her lip, hands clenched. She was aiming to do the golisopod in in one hit; and yet it had survived.

Guzma only grinned, letting out his ariados in retaliation. It raced up to Macchiato, sinking its mandibles into the psychic type with bug bite. The raichu fell soon after, having succumbed to a crit. Sol returned him, letting out Mocha.

A quick fire fang from the incineroar felled the ariados with ease. Guzma scoffed at the outcome, growing more agitated. "Goddamn brat," he muttered, sending out his golisopod again. Sol couldn't help but grin, if just the smallest bit.

"Throat chop."

* * *

Sol entered the Aether house, yungoos scuttling behind her, thankful for the healing she got from Nanu. She had managed to win against Guzma, and was all but ready to grab Lillie and go for a relaxing cup of hot tapu cocoa –

Wait. Where was Lillie?

Her brows furrowed as her gaze landed on a solemn Hau, head hung low as he sat on the floor, knees to his chest. Acerola flew in behind Sol, almost running into her rain-soaked back. The smaller girl turned to Hau as the yungoos ran to the children, faces lighting up since their friend was safe.

"What happened to Lillie?"

Hau sighed before slowly standing up, head still downturned. "Those Skull members came back as soon as you left, and Lillie left without a fight," he started, fists clenching and unclenching. "I couldn't protect her, and now her and Nebby –"

" _Lillie had Nebby?_ " A new voice waved over the group, hot like lava, and Sol turned just in time to see Gladion running up to them.

Ah, he was livid.

"You people are ridiculous!" He cried out, a piercing glare landing on Sol and Hau. His eyes shifted to Sol. "How could you leave Lillie alone _again_?"

Sol furrowed her brows. Again? How did Gladion even know Lillie?

"Well," Sol said, casually wringing out her hair on to the floor, "Spoiler alert; I'm soaked because I just handed Guzma's ass to him in a battle, my pokemon are tired, and _Hau was here the whole time_."

"Yeah, and a lot of good he did!" Gladion retorted, hands shaking as he moved to grab one of his pokeballs.

Sol groaned. "Can you fucking _not_?" The blond froze. "Really, now. We have more pressing matters – like where Team Skull took Lillie."

Gladion sighed, crossing his arms across his chest and turn his head to the side, away from Sol. "I suppose."

"Yeah," Hau piped up meekly, "Considering Sol was just in Po Town, I doubt they took her there." Gladion let out another sigh, hand to his face.

"I have an idea where they went," he started slowly, before turning to face Sol and Hau once again. "But I'm… I'm going to need help. Are you coming, or not?"

* * *

It was still pouring rain as the three left to make their way back to Malie City. Sol felt it would be rude to call Kiawe's charizard, and so she began the trek back toward the city, Gladion reluctantly following behind her. Hau had said he needed to do a few things before they left, but would meet them at the pier as soon as possible.

"Are you certain he's going to come?" Gladion questioned, trying to match walking pace with the girl. She had changed out of her soaked clothes in favor of something easier to move in, and had borrowed a rain cloak from Acerola. Sol could only laugh at Gladion's question.

"He's Hau, and its about Lillie; of course he's going to show." Gladion furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean by that?"

Another laugh escaped her lips, and that was the only answer he got.

Sol wouldn't admit that walking with Gladion was rather nice. Not at all. Besides, she was still mildly ticked off by what he had said about Hau. And, from the sounds of things, Lillie had left willingly – there would have been nothing he could have done.

Though, she was still curious as to how he knew about Nebby – and how he knew Lillie in the first place. It wasn't her place to ask, though. They had a common goal – that was enough.

For now.

The rest of the walk was relatively quiet, save for the constant fall of rain. Just as they neared the city, it began to ease up, tapering off as soon as the duo entered the pokemon center.

Sol let down the hood of her cloak as she walked to the nearest table, flopping down onto a chair as soon as she reached it. "I'm not leaving until I get coffee," she said evenly, arm draped over the back of the chair as she turned her head to look up at Gladion. "But I'm also exhausted," she added, a sly grin plastered on her face.

Gladion sighed before walking off, hopefully to get drinks. To waste time, Sol dug out her phone, noting it was already seven in the evening. She pouted, thoughts wandering back to Lillie's wellbeing. All they could do now was hope that wherever Gladion was talking them would be the right place.

He returned not long after, two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. He placed one in front of Sol before sitting across from her, planting his elbows on the table, head resting in the palm of his hands. She smiled, saying a quick thank you before taking a drink of the steaming drink, almost burning her tongue in the process.

"I guess I should apologize for my outburst earlier," Gladion said, eyes averted. "It's been… stressful lately, especially with what just happened," he added. Sol looked him over, only now noticing the bags under his eyes, and how distraught he sounded. She sighed, wishing he would just say what was going on.

"Its fine, I guess. You look like you're under a lot of stress." Gladion scoffed at her remark, as if it were an understatement.

They drank their coffee in silence, Sol absentmindedly checking her phone as Gladion played a game on his own.

 _Ahh, being a millennial,_ she thought, smiling softly. The coffee had seemed to warm both of them up, and soon enough the duo left the pokemon center to head to the pier.

The sun was setting, but the clouds had parted, leaving a soft dusting of stars at the dark corners of the sky. The air was fresh, and Sol breathed it in happily, letting it relax her.

The pier its self was far colder than in the depths of the city, and Sol was glad she had switched out the cloak for a hoodie. Gladion went to check on the boat – an older thing decorated in Skull graffiti – while Sol leaned against the stone wall, hoping Hau would show up soon enough.

As Gladion came back, nodding when Sol asked if everything was alright, a cough beside Sol directed her gaze to Nanu.

"Officer Nanu?" Gladion stuttered, shock etched upon his face.

"That would be me," he replied, turning to Sol, hands stuffed in the pocket of his pants. "I'll be quick; I'm the kahuna and you should probably fight me before you leave."

 _Ah, that would make sense, with Nanu keeping an eye on Team Skull and all._

"Yeah, sure," Sol replied, pushing herself off the wall. They took their places on opposite ends of the dock, and Sol sent out Foam.

The battle took longer than Sol would have liked, but by the time she had secured her victory, Hau had arrived.

As Nanu showed her how to unleash the powers of Darkinium Z, Hau and Gladion attempted to stifle their laughter. He left soon after, causing Hau to let loose a roar of laughter that cascaded down the pier. Sol only shook her head, though she couldn't help but smile.

"So where are we headed, anyway?" She asked Gladion, who had an eyebrow raised to Hau. He pulled the laughing Hau closer to form a tight circle before speaking up.

"They should be in Aether," Gladion said, voice just above a whisper. Before Hau could even let out an outburst over the idea, Gladion had (gently) pushed him and Sol into the boat, before untying it from the dock and boarding himself.

Sol scooted into the seat next to Gladion as he fussed over starting up the boat, Hau behind them lying on the floor, head on his backpack.

"This isn't going to be fun, Hau," Gladion commented.

"I know, that's why I'm resting while I can," he replied nonchalantly.

Sol only shrugged her shoulders as Gladion turned back around, boat humming as they slowly started their way out to sea.

* * *

It didn't take long until obnoxious snoring sounded from the boy on the floor, and Sol couldn't help but think how adorable he looked, hugging his backpack. She turned back around in her seat, only to see Gladion's hands tighten around the steering wheel. He groaned, as if ready to slam his head on the wheel.

"Can you talk so I don't have to hear him snore?" He requested lightly, his tone just on the edge of the cliff leading down to the valley of Agitation Town.

"It's not like I have much to say," Sol replied, eying the stars through the windshield. She hummed thoughtfully. "We're on our way to Aether because Team Skull took Lillie there for some ungodly reason." She continued her thoughts in silence, before adding on, "unless that's where Lillie got Nebby or something."

Oh.

Sol sat up, connections beginning to form in her mind. "Besides, how do you know Lillie, anyway?" She looked to Gladion, who only shrugged and stared straight ahead. From that angle, he honestly…

Looked a lot…

Like Lillie.

Well, fuck.

"Oh. You two are siblings, aren't you?" Sol wasn't surprised when Gladion jerked the steering wheel, sending the boat through a hard turn. She heard Hau roll around in the back, though he sounded alright – he kept snoring, anyway.

"That would explain the similarities between you two and Lusamine," she added. "As well as the look Lusamine gave Hau when he said Lillie's name."

Gladion sounded like he almost choked. "You've met?"

"Yeah, though it was a quick visit."

"Great," he grumbled.

Sol leaned back into her seat. "I'm assuming both of you ran away, then?" Her question was met with silence as Gladion steered the boat back on course.

Perhaps she would stop pushing for a while.


	6. Rivers in the Desert

Hi guys! I present you with a 4k update because those three reviews made my day, honestly.  
Also I'm sorry for never being really vocal on here! I know I am on AO3, but I should be here as well ;v;

 **Cottonmouth25:** The AI is really wonky some times! I know as soon as I got my mimikyu in game, everything was easy peasy. :v

 **EarthBound Cat & Dragonsrule18:** Alkasjdfklsf thank you!

Also, if anyone was curious, this is Sol's full roster (which I took from my first Moon playthough b/c pleb):

Mocha - Incineroar

Macchiato - Raichu

Latte - Lycanroc

Chai - Lurantis

Xtra Foam - Toxapex

Caramel - Mimikyu

* * *

"So, here's our plan of attack," Gladion briefed to the two before him. "We find out where Lillie and Nebby are asap, and we hightail it out of here without being seen or heard." Both Sol and Hau stared blankly at him.

"We already docked, Gladion," Sol noted dully. "Someone should have seen us come in here. Besides, I'm shit at stealth."

Hau shrugged as Gladion groaned, dragging his hand down his face once again.

"Fine, just – just don't attract _too much attention_ , alright? _Try_ to follow me?" The blond pleaded. Sol nodded absentmindedly, eyes sweeping over the white, almost clinical feel of Aether Paradise. It glowed in the moonlight, turning it into a haunting beauty.

Mind you, it did the same to Gladion, as well. The moonlight highlighted his frame, and Sol couldn't help but stare. As cliché as it sounded, she couldn't help but admire him in that moment. That, coupled with the fact he was slowly opening up to her and Hau _softly_ pulled at her heart strings.

Sol shook her head, ignoring the thoughts that kept plaguing her mind. She had been freed of them momentarily – why were they beginning to come back _now_ of all times?

Honestly, she was going to scream.

They made their way slowly through the entrance of Aether Paradise, hiding behind giant crates to avoid most of the workers who were milling about.

It didn't take long for the trio to near the elevator further in. Hau slipped on ahead of Sol and Gladion, narrowly avoiding a passing Aether member. Sol was half way between crates, and froze, heart pounding as the Aether member looped around, closing in on her.

A scoff from behind her shook off her paralysis before a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her deeper in the small space between the crates. Before she knew it, she was face to face with Gladion in the cramped space – or at least, almost. Her eyes met his chin.

She was rather thankful for the difference in height, and the lack of lighting overhead, as her face heated up. Her body was squished between Gladion's and the crate. She was spinning. This was getting to be too much.

"Gladion," she hissed, "what are you doing?" Her hands balled at her sides, conscious of how close they were.

The blond shushed Sol, placing an index finger over her lips. After the Aether worker passed, the duo breathed a sigh of relief.

"You almost got caught," he murmured softly, before shuffling past her once the coast was clear. Sol followed him silently, biting down on her lip.

They reached the elevator finally, and Gladion marched ahead, passing Hau to the terminal. He entered a password, but sighed as the machine beeped back at him. "Of course they would change the codes for the low level."

Hau stared at Gladion quizzically, though he never commented on it. _Oh, right. Hau doesn't know, does he?_ Sol thought, arms crossed as she stepped onto the elevator with the two guys. Gladion turned his head to face them, one hand still on the controls.

"Looks like we have no choice but to go up."

The elevator lurched, and Sol grabbed onto the rails for dear life. She never did appreciate the feeling of moving elevators, and continued to cling on, knuckles turning white.

Once it came to a stop, Sol was ready to jump off as quickly as possible – however, an older man with a hypno beside him stood in their path.

"Oh, what's this?" The geezer asked, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. "The young master has returned to us, has he?"

"Faba," Gladion greeted coldly, arms also crossed.

Sol looked between the two, and then the hypno behind Faba. An idea flickered through her mind. She tapped Mocha's pokeball, faithfully attached to her side bag, and a red stream of light released from the small orb.

Her incineroar stood behind her, crossing his own arms and blowing out a small ember. Gladion raised his own brows at the gesture, though he seemed to catch on relatively fast.

"It appears you're at a type disadvantage, Faba," he mused, uncrossing his arms only to rest one of his hands on his hips. A small smile graced his lips, though it was taunting. "Give us the code to get to the labs."

Sol was ready to faint, honestly.

Faba backed away, a glare painted on his crooked face. "It would be futile to fight you now," he stated, before offering up a series of numbers and letters to Gladion, who quickly punched them in.

"Good luck finding whatever it is you're here for," the graying man spat before turning around and walking off, just as the elevator began to descend.

Gladion moved to the door ahead once they reached the second basement floor, Sol and Hau following obediently. "There are two labs here," the blond started. "I'll go to the first one, and you two can check out the other." Sol shrugged, fine with the idea, and started forward. As she reached the hallway, three lab workers wearing what resembled gas masks jolted, quickly releasing their pokemon. A muk, magneton, and porygon2 appeared in front of the researchers, and Sol groaned.

She tapped two pokeballs on her bag, releasing Mocha, and Caramel, her mimikyu. The pikaclone let loose an eerie, low-pitched screech, which caused Mocha to glare at her. "We don't have all night to find Lillie," Sol growled. "Mocha, fire fang on magneton. Caramel, swords dance."

Mocha rushed off, attacking the steel type with flaming jaws. It fell soon after, though muk reached out with a poison fang to counter the fire type. Mocha jumped to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding the poison attack. Behind him, Caramel had phantom swords floating around her, almost completing the dance to raise her attack.

"Porygon2, tri attack on the mimikyu!" One of the employees yelled, the porygon2 following orders. It began to absorb light, ready to release the attack which would more than likely leave the ghost/fairy with a status infliction.

"Mocha, jump in and throat chop on the porygon2! Caramel, play rough on the muk!" The other employee called for the normal type to dodge, evading Mocha's attack. Caramel lunged toward the muk, attacking it with all her might, though after backing away it was still standing.

The porygon2 let loose its power, hitting Caramel dead on, though her disguise shielded her from taking any damage.

Sol called for another round of throat chop, though this time directed at the muk. Mocha obliged, fainting the pokemon. The employees called back the muk and magneton, leaving only the porygon2 out.

"Caramel – play rough, again." The attack boosted pokemon dealt a critical blow to the porygon2, sending it flying into the nearby wall. It was recalled as well, employees turning tail and dashing away just as Hau and Gladion raced forward.

"What just happened?" Hau questioned as Sol thanked her pokemon, recalling them so they could rest.

She shrugged. "Nothing particularly exhilarating." Gladion shook his head at the girl, gesturing to continue moving.

And so they did; Gladion entering the first lab, and Hau and Sol the second. Inside the room was nothing of note, at first glance. Hau poked through the books on the shelf, though it seemed fruitless. Sol scanned the area, brows furrowed as her gaze landed on the computer monitor that was still alight.

She plopped down onto the computer chair, swivelling to face the screen. On it was what appeared to be hastily written notes on Nebby, stating that the more it was aggravated, the more power it would use in turn.

She really didn't like the sound of that.

With a quick gesture to Hau, they exited the second lab, meeting Gladion outside of the first.

"Any luck?" Sol called out as they neared him. He shook his head in reply before voicing the same question himself.

"Nebby could be an ancient ultra beast!" Hau exclaimed.

"Also, agitating it is how they create wormholes," Sol tacked on, brushing past the two boys. "We should hurry."

As they reached the elevator, Gladion cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two with him. Sol turned to face him, noticing the tinge of pink on his cheeks. His one hand moved to brush the back of his neck, eyes averting Hau and Sol.

Was he embarrassed about something?

He faltered through his first few words. "I… I know we aren't friends," his cheeks became more red as he continued on, "but… thank you. For doing this."

Sol's heart was ready to explode.

Be it from stress or developing feelings, she wasn't quite certain.

* * *

Faba laughed as the group neared him, Aether member standing beside him idly. "You'll never be able to get to Cosmog if I have the key!"

"Dude," Hau deadpanned. "You could have just hidden from us, and we never would have gotten it that way."

Faba's face paled.

Hau and Sol stepped forward, both releasing their Alolan raichu as Faba released his slowbro, and the Aether member his ledian. Sol's fists were clenched, Gladion noted, though he wasn't certain if she were angry at Faba, or the whole situation in general.

"Thunderbolt," the two shouted in unison, raichu releasing drastic bolts of energy onto the opposing pokemon.

The rest of the battle took little time, and Faba faltered, allowing the group to pass. Recalling Macchiato, Sol marched over to the older man, only to punch him square in the jaw.

"That's for wasting our time," she hissed, moving past him and on to the next area.

Gladion and Hau looked between them and Faba, both shocked over Sol's temperament.

As the three stepped into the opened space that led to what seemed to be a giant white palace (mansion, Sol corrected herself, though it still seemed huge), they were taken aback by the amount of Skull thugs loitering about.

"What the fuck," Sol breathed, eyes darting to Gladion to see his reaction. His gaze was focused on something ahead of them, and as Sol followed his line of sight, she realized who it was.

Guzma.

Without any warning, Gladion raced ahead, releasing Null as he ran.

As he moved farther away from Hau and Sol, a grunt approached the duo.

"We're here on strict orders to act as extra security," the Skull grunt gloated, arms crossed over his chest. Hau moved in front of Sol, claiming his target, and turned his head to look back at her.

"Get to Gladion – I can handle these guys."

And so Sol raced forward, releasing Caramel since she had become the girl's powerhouse.

The grunts ahead tried to slow them down, but Caramel took care of everything with a few shadow sneaks. By the time they reached Gladion and Guzma, however, Gladion had recalled Null, a pained expression on his face.

"I'm still not good enough," the boy whispered, iron grip on his wrist has he stared at the ground. Sol stopped beside him; though she wanted to give encouraging words to him, she had none to offer.

"Oh, you're back, aren't ya?" Guzma cawed at her, euphoric from his victory against Gladion, his faithful golisopod chittering along behind him. Sol glared at the man, ready to beat him in like how she did with Faba.

"Fuck off," was her reply as she sent Caramel forward. The mimikyu could sense her anger, and revelled in it, shaking excitedly.

The golisopod raced forward, body covered in a layer of water. Sol called for a dodge, though Caramel didn't react in time. She was hit dead on with liquidation, flying backwards out over the open water.

Sol screamed, ripping her mimikyu's pokeball from her bag, recalling the pokemon before she fell to the ocean below.

Gladion's eyes widened in horror – even Sol was beginning to have a hard time.

A new layer of anger coated the girl beside him; he could feel it burn against him. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. She needed to be rational.

She didn't need her pokemon to fly overboard.

She tapped Latte's pokeball, releasing the lycanroc. "Accelerock, Latte," Sol called out to the rock type, and she shot forward, tackling the golisopod. It had no time to respond, and was thrown into the wall of the mansion. Guzma yelled for it to get up, which it struggled to do.

"Don't give it time to get back up; rock slide." Lattes paws thrusted down on the floor, sending out a shockwave that summoned boulders in front of her. She rammed into them, flinging them into the golisopod.

Guzma recalled the bug, releasing his ariados soon after. Sol called for another accelerock, Latte KO'ing the ariados.

The last two pokemon were a repeat of the first – Latte knocked them down with her rock moves, barely gaining a scratch in the process.

"Tch." Guzma stepped to the side. "I guess I have no choice but to let you through."

Sol returned Latte to her pokeball, and turned to Gladion, who had been busy watching her every expression as she commanded the battle – though she was too absorbed to notice.

"Let's go," she said, reaching her hand out to the boy, wanting to tug his arm gently. She let it fall, instead.

He took a breath before replying to her. "I'll be there in a moment." He had averted his eyes again, looking down to the floor. Sol sighed, stepping closer to the boy and grabbing his hand with her own, cupping it gently.

He was still shaking as his head whirled around to face her again, shocked by the sudden gesture. Her one hand left his to dig through her bag, a few revives in her hand. She placed them in his hand, curling his fingers to make sure he held on to them.

She reached back in her bag and pulled out a few hyper potions, as well, handing them out to Gladion. "Give your pokemon a moment to recover, at least."

He took them from her gently, nodding a thanks, mind spinning too much to answer properly.

With that, Sol turned around and entered the mansion.

She wasn't expecting Lillie and Lusamine to be standing there, talking, however.

"Oh, Sol. We haven't seen you in some time," Lusamine commented, hand on her hip. Lillie spun around, face glowing once she saw Sol.

"You came!"

"Of course I did," Sol replied, gaze turning to the woman before them.

"I don't know why you would hang around someone so useless," Lusamine chided at Sol, her words stabbing at Lillie.

"Mother! Just listen to me," Lillie cried out, though Lusamine just laughed, hand covering her mouth.

"Mother? You must be mistaken. I have no children."

The rage in Sol was tempted to flare again, though she knew she had to hold out for a little longer. She was more than ready to call Lusamine any number of filthy words, even though it wouldn't help.

Lusamine turned to Lillie. "You do realize you have no way to stop me, right? You're such a useless child, you can't even steal research properly," the woman chided. She turned toward the warp panel in front of her. "You might as well watch as I summon my precious beast. And then you can leave."

With that, the woman left the two younger girls in the bedroom, Lillie shaking. Sol wrapped her in a hug, knowing how much Lusamine's words stung the girl. She released her moments later, determination to beat down Lusamine the only thought in her mind.

She grabbed Lillie's hand, and they warped over to the next room. Sol froze, taking in the sights of the frozen pokemon in front of her, and the other containers in the walls.

She was going to puke.

"This way," Lusamine called out, devilish grin on her face. Lillie and Sol trudged forward, meeting the woman half way. "How do you like my collection?"

"This is disgusting," Sol commented dryly. Lusamine raised a brow, though she didn't reply.

"Hey, Sol!" A voice from behind them called, followed by pounding footsteps. "Oh, Lillie, too!" Hau stopped beside her, smile on his face.

Gladion followed behind the eager boy, steps slow and deliberate. He came to a stop beside Sol, hands on his hips. "Will you at least listen to me? You mustn't open the Ultra Wormhole! Don't let those beasts run wild."

Lusamine's expression changed drastically, her frown creating barely visible wrinkles on her forehead. "The daughter who stole my Cosmog and the son who stole my Type: Null," she hissed. "You have no place here!"

"Wait, you're all related?" Hau asked, astounded by the idea.

Sol shook her head. _At least he figured it out._

"Not that it matters," Lusamine replied, walking towards a small, glowing box on the ground. Lifting it, she giggled madly. "I was able to call a beast with Cosmog's gases alone; imagine the beasts that will come with all of its energy!"

A chime from the box shook Lillie – it was definitely Nebby inside of it.

Lusamine held the box up, and it began to glow, absorbing power from Nebby who was trapped inside. The power released, shooting up and creating an Ultra Wormhole overhead.

The beast from before, what appeared to be a glass jellyfish, chittered ethereally as it floated down to Lusamine, who did naught but laugh.

 _She's completely insane,_ Sol thought, brows furrowed.

At that moment, Guzma came racing forward, golisopod behind him. Gladion swore under his breath before shouting, "Sol! Distract Lusamine; Hau, take on Guzma! Null and I can take down the ultra beast! That's what he was made for, after all." The last of his words were said just above a whisper, though Sol heard them plain as day.

Lusamine glared at her, throwing a pokeball up in the air and releasing her clefable. "I'll get you out of the way quickly enough."

Sol stayed quiet, releasing her toxapex in turn. "Poison jab."

The battle raged on, the two trainers neck and neck. The final turn, Lusamine's bewear versus Sol's incineroar, Sol bet on the giant bear having the ability fluffy, and ordered Mocha to fire fang it.

It was _definitely_ effective.

Lusamine scoffed, returning her fainted pokemon.

Sol wasn't even paying attention to what she said, more worried with how Hau and Gladion ended up. As she turned to look at the two, Lusamine entered the Ultra Wormhole, Guzma rushing after her.

Sol whipped her head back around only to see the portal close behind them, the box containing Nebby falling to the floor.

Lillie rushed forward, falling to her knees and fighting to open the contraption. The three followed her, standing around the box as Lillie finally opened it.

Inside was Nebby, though it had a taken on a smaller, very different form.

"Oh, no," Lillie gasped, holding onto the gem-like pokemon for dear life.

The group turned and left the area soon after, finding their way back to the bedroom where a woman with purple hair awaited them – Wicke.

Lillie launched herself into her arms, tears finally falling after such an ordeal. She mumbled something about staying in Lusamine's room when Wicke said she would have beds prepared for everyone.

Gladion thanked her, exiting the room swiftly. Sol looked to Hau, who waved her off, mouthing that he would keep Lillie company. She nodded, turning and racing to catch up with Gladion.

This time she wasn't going to falter.

Though, with what, she wasn't certain yet.

She grabbed onto his arm as soon as she was close enough, causing him to stop and turn to look at her. "What?" He asked curtly, caught off guard. Realizing it was Sol, his expression softened, though he turned back around. "Sorry."

She let go, and Gladion began to walk again, though she matched his slowed stride with ease. As they entered the main portion of Aether Paradise, Gladion spoke up. "I should thank you again, for everything," he started. "I know we aren't friends, but –"

"– Gladion," Sol stopped him from finishing his sentence, changing her pacing to pass him, turn and stop in front of the blond. "There is no way we _aren't_ friends after all of this."

A blush crept up his cheeks, and he averted his gaze in an attempt to hide it. Sol felt her own cheeks warm up, her heart beating out of tune, though she tried to ignore it. Pushing her thoughts past her pounding heart, she stepped forward and grabbed Gladion's hands with her own, meeting his gaze.

"We _are_ friends, okay?" She said softly, searching his green eyes for a feeling other than fear. After several moments, his guarded look fell, and he nodded, unable to say anything.

"Okay," he managed, eyes still looking anywhere but at Sol.

Oh well, she would take what she could get.

* * *

It was well past midnight by the time everything and everyone was sorted, and they all had their own rooms to sleep in.

Even though Sol couldn't sleep.

She even asked Mocha to hit her over the head with a two-by-four, though her starter refused, so she made her way to the conservation area, thinking some fresh air would help clear her head.

However, she wasn't expecting Gladion to be out there. In place of his usual hooded vest and long sleeved shirt was a plain black t-shirt, and sweats instead of his jeans. His arms rested on the rails as he gazed out towards the ocean, moonlight illuminating him once again.

Sol hid behind a pole, heart pounding. She was outside to _clear_ her head, not have _more_ thoughts about a certain blond invade it!

She peeked back around the pole, noting him shiver lightly as a breeze passed. _This is totally not déjà vu._ The thought of coffee crossed her mind, and so she meandered to one of the staff rooms near by, hoping Gladion would still be there when she got back.

* * *

She had only made enough for two cups, so it didn't take long for two mugs to be filled with steaming bean water. She paused at the pole once again, peaking out to make sure he was still there.

He was.

A deep breath, and she forced herself forward. She stopped beside him, scaring him slightly since he jerked back momentarily. Sol laughed softly, handing the mug over to Gladion, which he accepted wordlessly.

"It's too much to try and sleep now, isn't it?" Sol questioned, hanging her own arm over the railing, eyeing the reflection of the stars in the calm ocean. With the lack of light pollution on the seas, it was a breathtaking sight for her. Sure, Aether still emitted some light, but it was low enough a brightness outside it didn't ruin the image.

Gladion shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee before responding. "I haven't had a proper sleep in two years; I see it rather pointless to start now."

"I mean, at least getting _some_ sleep would be ideal, wouldn't it?"

Gladion laughed, and Sol's heart began to pound yet again. _Why is this happening oh my Arceus._

"You could hit me over the head with a brick and it still wouldn't help. Really."

"I mean, I tried to get Mocha to hit me with a two-by-four so I could get to sleep. He refused, though." Another laugh bubbled out from Gladion, and Sol couldn't help but join in.

Silence enveloped them, though it was comfortable. They gazed at the horizon, a blur between ocean and sky, and sipped their coffee peacefully.

Another breeze passed by, causing the two to shiver. Sol instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, goosebumps forming on her arms. She heard Gladion shuffle slightly, and felt his arm brush against hers, sending shivers up her frame once more.

Oh, she was going to die. This was the end.

"Are you that cold?" He asked softly, eyes finally focused on her. She averted her gaze, fighting off the blush that threatened to take over her _entire goddamn face_.

"Only a little," she mumbled, thumbing her empty coffee cup.

"We could go inside, if you want."

Sol shrugged, coffee cup dangling on her index finger. "I can make more coffee I guess. I'll be pulling an all-nighter at this rate."

* * *

She wasn't quite expecting to end up in the room Gladion was occupying, but they had raided the staffroom fridge and pantry, arms full of chips and a few other after-midnight snacks. Sol really didn't expect Gladion to be the type to pig out on chips and cookies, though he did have a bag of Doritos on him that one time.

They sat on the bed of the decently sized room – it wasn't worker's barracks, but his own room from before he had run away. It was pristine and white, just like the rest of Aether, equipped with a wall TV and desk. Gladion's pokeballs sat on the night stand, along with their cups of coffee, recently refilled.

Both of their phones were out – Gladion playing some form of game, and Sol scrolling through her social media accounts, giggling and showing Gladion every meme that crossed her sights. His gaze was locked on his phone for the most part, fingers tapping wildly. Curious, Sol clambered around on and over the bed, rearranging herself so that she was lying on her stomach beside him to see what he was doing.

Wait.

What the fuck rhythm game was that.

"Gladion are you playing _Love Live_?"

He missed a note, hissing a low "fuck".

"Holy fuck you are."

And so the rest of the caffeine-fueled night was spent playing rhythm games, Sol singing along to the songs Gladion played, albeit purposefully out of tune.

At some point during the night Sol convinced him to exchange numbers – for meme purposes, of course.

It was early morning by the time they were exhausted, their late-night giggle fiasco coming to an end.

They had both fallen asleep beside each other, content smiles on their faces.


	7. Shores

oh hi here have another update. I could have studied for my exam tomorrow but instead have some fluff haha

Also, thank you for the reviews you wonderful people omg I was giggling like a mandman this morning when I saw them.

* * *

The sun rays hit Sol dead on, causing her to stir. A weight over her waist made it hard for her to roll over, so she stayed still, only moving her hands to her eyes to rub the sleep from them. Slowly, her eyes opened, mind trying to recall events from last night. She remembered drinking coffee, and the obnoxious sounds of _Cutie Panther_ and _Daydream Warrior_ being played on repeat –

Oh, right. She had been hanging out with Gladion until the early hours of the morning. Her brows furrowed, not recalling letting her pokemon out at any time during the night. Slowly, she shifted the arm under her, feeling for the weight that was over her waist. Her hand made contact with soft skin, and her heart skipped a beat.

 _Holy fuck is that Gladion's arm what –_

It was then she noticed just _how close_ they were – she could feel his breath tickle her neck as he continued to sleep peacefully.

As far as she could tell, he wasn't _quite_ spooning her – there was enough of a gap between them – but he was definitely, _technically_ , cuddling her.

If her face could get any redder, her skin would melt off her face. Not a pleasant thought, but a likely one, nonetheless.

She shifted her arm to a more comfortable position, phone now in hand. _It's already eleven in the morning?_ Sol screamed internally, not knowing how to get out of her predicament.

She could move, and pray to the gods above that Gladion wouldn't wake up until she left. She could also try to wake him up, though she didn't want to give him a heart attack like she had already had.

The girl bit down on her lip, debating over the safer option. The likelihood of anyone running into her was relatively high, unless Hau wanted an early lunch. No matter the outcome, _someone_ was going to notice her leaving Gladion's room.

 _No time for indecision; we die like men._

As gently as she could, Sol turn around to sleep the facing blond. By Arceus, did he ever look angelic while he was asleep.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Sol's lips, appreciating the moment, then tapped him on the shoulder. He stirred, evidently a light sleeper, and his eyes fluttered open slowly after.

"So, we uh," Sol started, face turning red at the thought, "kinda fell asleep in your room." It took a moment for him to process what she had said before his eyes grew wide, cheeks reddening. With the grace of an Alolan raticate, he threw his arm off Sol, scooting away from her ever so slightly.

She really wanted to laugh, though she tried to hold in it.

She sat up on the bed, giving Gladion a mock salute. "I'm going now, bye," she sing-songed, grabbing her phone and hightailing it out the door.

Gladion had managed to sit up, weakly calling out a "bye" right before the door closed. With the click of the door, he fell back onto the bed, a sigh escaping his lips.

It was the first time in a long time that he had laughed so much – or gotten a decent sleep, for that matter. It could have just been the need for an emotional wind down that brought them together, but Gladion was secretly happy with the outcome.

Though, as soon as Sol left, the empty feeling in his chest had come back with a vengeance. He doubted she would leave today – they all needed to recuperate – so he wasn't certain what was causing the feeling.

Or how she had managed to subside it, in the first place.

* * *

After a shower and a change of clothes, Gladion's main plan for the day was to see what Lusamine had dug up about Nebby. Cup of roserade tea in hand – a welcome change from the bitter coffee he had for the last few days – he made his way to the library, hoping he could find something to find his mother.

As he browsed the shelves for anything on Alola's legendaries, his thoughts backtracked to Sol, regardless of how he pushed the thoughts to the side. He groaned, finally giving up for a moment and sitting at one of the desks.

He just couldn't get her out of his head! It was borderline unhealthy, he decided, chugging his tea. Placing the mug back on the desk with the slightest bit too much force, he stood back up, scraping the chair against the floor.

Maybe if he found her and dragged her back here, he could get some work accomplished.

* * *

Sol sat at one of the kitchen tables with Hau and Lillie, devilish smile on her lips as her eyes darted back and forth between the two.

Something had happened last night – she was sure of it.

Between the glances they kept giving one another, and the blush that just wouldn't leave their faces, Sol had assumed Hau took _proper_ care of Lillie last night.

Though their three-person conversation was still relatively natural, she could tell the blossoming lovebirds wanted some alone time.

It was perfect timing when Gladion showed up, bangs pinned back once again by a barrette, black framed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

"Sol," he said, Hau and Lillie both jumping in their seats, only now aware of his presence. "Can you help me with something?" The girl in question shrugged, leaving her seat and empty coffee mug behind, dutifully following the boy down the hall.

They reached the library easily enough, where Gladion told her to take a seat. She did, curious as to what he would need her for, chin resting in her hand. Her gaze followed him as he began looking through the titles on the shelves, clearly absorbed in his task.

"What did you need me for?" She asked after a few minutes had passed, gaze no longer lingering on him but rather the aesthetics of the room. Instead of the monochrome ordeal everything else had been, the library was dowsed in warm light, earthy and creamy tones covering the room from head to toe. It was the opposite of the rest of Aether, and Sol wanted to know who decided on the design. It certainly wouldn't have been Gladion and Lillie's mother.

A few beats passed before Gladion registered her question, hand lingering on a dusty brown book. "I just need you to sit there for now," he worded carefully, "feel free to do whatever in the meantime."

"Aiight," Sol replied, biting the inside of her cheek. If he wanted to hang out, why didn't he just say so?

* * *

Sol had finally managed to squeeze out of Gladion what he was looking for after a few hours of sitting around on her phone, and took it upon herself to inspect the items they had on display. He was currently sitting at the desk, book on the celestial beings of Alola open in front of him. He scanned it idly, leafing through pages with one hand while he rested his chin on the other.

He was still wearing the barrette and glasses, along with his long-sleeved shirt and jeans torn up by Null, making him look like a deformed cross between an edgelord and a hipster. Null slept by his feet, snoring softly. It made Sol smile, being able to experience the side of Gladion that wasn't full of angst and three potato chips.

The book he was currently looking at had mentioned something about ancient flutes, so Sol assumed if Lusamine had acquired such an object, it would be by everything else in the library.

She scouted through the many fossils on display, eyeing the cases they resided in. They were lined up perfectly along the ledge embedded in the wall, though as her gaze followed the wood edging, she noticed a slight jutting that aligned with one of the cases. Curious, she leaned in closer to it, hand feeling along it for anything out of place.

Underneath the edging she felt a slight bump, and against all better judgement, pressed it.

The case receded into the wall, a platform raising up through the gap where it once was. Sol squeaked. "Gladion – get over here!"

The chair squealed against the floor, and he made his way over, face contorted in morbid curiosity. As he came to a stop beside Sol, the platform took over where the case once was, a long velvet box sitting peculiarly in its place. Gladion reached for it, opening the case slowly.

The duo's eyes widened as they were met with a golden coloured flute, and Sol clapped her hands together, grin on her face. "Sweet! I did something useful!"

Gladion chuckled, turning to Sol. Before either of them had time to process the discovery they had made, Gladion had moved closer to her, leaning in and planting a chaste kiss on her forehead. "You've done a lot of useful things," he murmured against her.

Realizing what he had done, Gladion backed away from the girl, her face a brilliant shade of crimson.

He turned around, marching swiftly out of the library, Null at his heels.

Sol stood there for what felt like a thousand years, mind unable to process what had occurred.

She slapped her cheeks, gently grabbing the case that contained the flute, and slowly eased her way out of the library, heart pounding.


End file.
